


Uh, I Mean

by qu33nb33



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Adoption, Found Family, Gen, accidentally calling your previously enemy turned uncle dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-07-16 09:11:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16082999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/qu33nb33/pseuds/qu33nb33
Summary: Somehow the word felt so right as it came out of her mouth, and yet she was hit with a horrible sinking feeling as her brain caught up and realized what she had actually just said.Holy Stars, she had just called Scrooge McDuck Dad.





	Uh, I Mean

**Author's Note:**

> THREE different attempts to make this a very small scene, all three attempts ended in not-as-small scenes. this is the smallest of the three
> 
> tbh im just a sucker for dad!scrooge

She'd never actually called anyone Mom or Dad before. Magica had shot down that idea very early on, and it wasn't like she had anyone else that would fit those spots. Obviously she knew that those weren't the only family a person could have, but part of her had always longed for parents. Or at least one parent. Or at least an adult that wasn't Magica.

And she had gotten that wish in the form of the McDucks--Donald, Beakley, Launchpad, and of course her legal guardian, Scrooge. They were a perfect example of the diversity of family.

Still, she entertained the thought sometimes. Usually when she was alone, or feeling particularly down that day. Never out loud, or even thinking about it when other people were around.

And yet, somehow, she had still managed to slip up. She blamed herself, of course, no one else really to blame, and cursed her own existence. 

It was just--Scrooge had brought her back a souvenir, a dark gray hoodie with the logo of some place they had been to--and she'd never felt so--so--

Loved? Remembered? She felt like someone cared about her. Sure, Webby brought her things from time to time, but this was  _Scrooge._ The old man, the McDuck, her legal guardian. He could have brought her back an acorn and she probably would have felt the same awe and hesitance as she did in that moment.

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and sat on the edge of her bed next to her. "I understand if ye don't like it, but, I figured since ye don't like adventures, you should still have something to remember them by. The other kids all got shirts 'n stuff, so--"

She hugged him and held the hoodie close to her. She buried her face in his shoulder as she struggled not to cry and to keep her breathing steady. He smelled like oil and gasoline, a sign that the plane had crashed or broken down at one point or another. The hoodie smelled like incense, probably from the store it was bought from.

She felt him relax and wrap his arms around her. "Ah, I'm glad ye like it. Webby assured me that you would want this one over the neon pink one."

She laughed, more to humor his attempt at a joke than anything. She sniffled and pulled back, determined not to cry over a hoodie. However, once she stepped back again, he looked at her with a warmth she'd never seen before.

She started crying two full seconds before he started laughing, and she cry-laughed with him.

"You're worse than Louie." He said as he pulled her in again. She didn't have a come back for that.

After another second she pulled back again, careful not to wear out her welcome. He ruffled her hair before he let her go and she wiped her eyes before she spoke again. Her chest felt heavy and almost painful with the emotions it held, but she managed to calm her nerves enough to speak.

"Th-thank you."

"Of course, Lass. We'd do anything to help you feel like part of the family. You know that, right?" His voice had a serious tone to it underneath the warmth.

She nodded. "Yeah--yeah, I know."

He breathed a sigh of relief before he straightened up and nodded. She looked down at the hoodie in her hands and smiled. Normally she had a cool teen image to protect, but she couldn't find it in her to hide from Scrooge. She  _wanted_ him to know how much she appreciated the seemingly-simple gift.

He stood up, almost reluctantly, and stood in front of her. "'M proud of ye, Lena. You're doin' a great job as a McDuck."

"Low blow, old man." She teased. They both knew that the fact that Lena was officially 'Lena McDuck' was an emotional spot for her. She had insisted that he had done too much for her already, forgiving her and letting her stay and not being mad. He didn't need to to more.

When she had accidentally told him that changing her name was something she considered important it just made his resolve all the more final.

He leaned forward and gave her one more hug and kissed the top of her head. "I know all the secrets." He said, joking and cryptic, and she jokingly pushed him away. He laughed again as she scoffed, and bowed. "So you're satisfied with your present?"

She looked down again and ran her fingers over the logo on the hoodie. She already knew she had a new favorite piece of her wardrobe, even if she knew the other kids wouldn't leave her alone for it. She would put up with their teasing if it meant being able to wear the hoodie.

"Yeah, I love it." She couldn't keep the awe out of her voice, since that was the main emotion she felt. Judging by the smile on Scrooge's face, he approved

"Well then! Good night, Miss McDuck."

She kept her eyes on the hoodie and smiled as she saw him bow again in the doorway. "Yeah, yeah. Night, Dad."

Somehow the word felt so right as it came out of her mouth, and yet she was hit with a horrible sinking feeling as her brain caught up and realized what she had actually just said. 

Holy Stars, she had just called Scrooge McDuck _Dad._

Immediately, nervousness set in. Had she ruined the moment? Would he be angry? Would it be awkward? She didn't want to look up at him, but he didn't move, and he didn't say anything. Her heart pounded in her ears as she wondered which of them would be the first to break.

Slowly, stomach full of lead, she glanced up at him, terrified of what would happen.

His grin made her scowl.

"It's not funny!"

"Dad! Bless me bagpipes!"

"What does that even mean?! Real people don't say that!"

She didn't miss the way his eyes watered, or how he choked on what to say next. With a devilish grin she returned his earlier jabs without hesitating. "Can't take the heat, McDuck?"

He laughed as he took two large steps back towards her bed and wrapped her in another hug. She pretended to gasp for air under his grip, but secretly she wanted to return the hug full force. He nuzzled the top of her head with his beak. "'m so proud of ya, Lena."

"You can't get me twice in one night." She was stubborn, just like him. "Try again tomorrow."

"Fine, fine, I'll be the emotional one now. Good night, my wonderful daughter."

He was definitely doing that on purpose, and she playfully shoved him away again. "Get out of my room! Out! Banished!" She weaponized a nearby pillow against him and threw it as he gleefully sidestepped away from her. He made it to the doorway again before he turned around one final time.

"Okay, okay. Goodnight, Lena." His eyes twinkled in a way that made her want to leave it at that, but she knew she couldn't.

With one last eye roll of defiance, she relented.

"Goodnight, Dad."


End file.
